Outstanding movie



I had been given the graphic novel by my son last fall, and I kept up with all the little snippets of the movie (and the making of it) on the Web. The final cut is much better than just watching disassociated pieces.

My lady wife went with me. The deal has always been that if she goes to an action movie with me, then I have to go to a chick flick with her. This action movie will be worth whatever nightmare she drags me to the next time.

There are scenes in the movie that were not in the graphic novel, and vice versa...just enough to keep you guessing. I also think the the recent brouhaha by the progressives that this movie is a metaphor for the War on Terror is just typical leftist fuzzy thinking. The good guys and bad guys are very clearly drawn. It is a story about honor and courage, as drawn in a comic book, and not a metaphor for our times.

Just like that chick flick Titanic that she dragged me to, we know how it ends. The politics of it are hidden in the mists of time, but certain facts remain that the comic was faithful to.

7000 Greeks from many cities under the leadership of the Spartan King held up the Persian advance long enough for the rest of the Greek city states to prepare for invasion.   They held a narrow gap between the mountains and the sea which was the quick route into southern Greece from were Xerxes landed his troops.  The Greeks were betrayed and their leader sent all but 300 Spartans (and several other small groups) to safety and to spread the word. The Spartans were all killed (save 3* which are not mentioned in this story).  What truly happened there is only known secondhand...all the Greek allies that stayed to fight were killed.

No mention is made of the sea battle at Salamis a few weeks later which really ended the Persian invasion.  Without control of the sea, Xerxes could not support his army.  His remaining land forces were destroyed by the Greeks several months later as noted in the movie.

The Spartans are seen as honorable, courageous, and, I think, a bit single minded. I also think the story treats the Persians pretty well. They are seen to be as courageous as the Greeks. The biggest contrast, of course, is between the two kings...The earthy Leonidas and the androgynous Xerxes. Their parlay is wonderful theater.

The cinematography is along the style of Sin City - with fewer locations. It was adapted from a graphic novel after all. It seemed like a short movie, and (except for the scenes not in the comic) had a minimum of dialog.

Do not expect true historical accuracy...expect an excellent remake of a story you already know.  The politics of the time would fill a tome...but even so, some will fight when there is no hope because that is better than to live as slaves.  Not every Greek city-state of the time agreed, and some submitted to the Persians.

...Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, and still yet if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you, and only a precarious chance for survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. - Winston Churchill

The 15 yard gap between the mountains and the sea where the ancient coast road ran is no longer there...the sediment deposits pushing the sea back a mile or two...enough room for a modern highway.  Monuments tight against the hills show where the battle was fought and lost.

*One was sent as a messenger to another city and returned too late to join in the final battle. He committed suicide in shame. Two were blinded and sent to the rear. One of those returned to the battle and was killed. The other made it to Sparta and was shamed as a coward.

Update:

Tiberius has re-written the script to meet Liberal approval....

There is no way they would applaud this movie as written. To meet
liberal approval, it would have to be re-written to portray Xerxes as a
MLK-like figure trying to bring racial justice and diversity to the
world by saving the deluded Greeks from the "yoke" of Patriarchy and
Western Civilization that they had been tricked into supporting by the
evil Bushitleras...who is in turns both a stuttering retard and a
diabolical mastermind and talks like he's from Texas....and his elite
mercenary army, the Halliburtonite warriors, led by Bushitleras's
trusted lieutenants Cheneyopulas and Rumsfeldos. Bushilteras and his
Halliburtonite warriors, after many gratuitous atrocities on innocent
brown and black people, will hole up in a impregnable position, and
actually put Xerxes in danger of being defeated until a Greek named
Mcainites sees how he's been betrayed by Bushitleras and shows Xerxes a
hidden path that will enable him to out-flank and destroy the
Halliburtonite warriors. Bushitleras will be taken alive after he flees
and leaves the others to thier fate, and grovel and plead before Xerxes
for his life. Xerxes will, of course, answer his pleas and then die
tragically when he foolishly turns his back on Bushitleras long enough
for him to pull out a hidden dagger and back-stab him. Xerxes's
bodyguards will cut him down on the spot, then Xerxes will give his
dying speech about the perils of Patriarchy and the evil of Western
civilization and die while cradled in the arms of Mcainites, who had
become his gay lover.

Update:  Iranian official lashes out at Hollywood movie "300" for insulting
Persian civilization